Although Hoops is, on the surface, a novel about basketball, it is also about Black identity and success in a white society. The game becomes a symbol for life on and off the court, for Lonnie and for the other characters like Cal and Paul. Towards the end of the novel, Lonnie reflects on what Cal taught him, marveling that Cal “had enough of his game left, his all-the-time, off-the-court game, to give some of it to me” (182). In this context, “game” becomes something more than skills on the basketball court; Cal’s game was about how he dealt with people, especially nefarious people, and how he was able to come out on top. Having “game” becomes about how, as a young Black man, Lonnie can find success for himself.

The game on the court also parallels Lonnie’s developing understanding of his social context. During the championship, Lonnie reaches a new level of playing, thinking to himself, “I could feel the game. I could feel everything that was going on” (174). Feeling the game, for Lonnie, means being fully in touch with all the dynamics on the court. This is a direct mirror to other mentions of game: Having or feeling the game means being able to understand what is going on around and how to deal with it appropriately.